New Zealand traffic down as “three strikes” copyright law takes effect

Two New Zealand ISPs report that their traffic is down after that country's …

Two New Zealand ISPs have reported falling traffic after that nation's controversial new "three strikes" copyright enforcement legislation went into effect at the start of the month. Kiwi Internet users may have been spooked by the threat of fines as high as NZ$15,000.

The New Zealand ISP Orcon has said that international traffic into New Zealand has dropped by about 10 percent since last week. Speaking to to the New Zealand Herald, Orcon's chief executive Scott Bartlett said that peer-to-peer file sharing represents the second-largest source of traffic after video streaming.

TelstraClear, another major New Zealand ISP, has also reported a drop in traffic, although a spokesman said he wasn't sure if it was related to the new copyright law. A third firm, Telecom New Zealand, says it hasn't noticed a drop in traffic.

The New Zealand law was passed earlier this year, and places the burden of proof on accused file-sharers; repeat offenders can face fines of up to NZ$15,000. The government also has an option to impose Internet disconnections of up to six months as a penalty for repeat infringement.

New Zealand network operators say they have yet to receive any complaints under the new "three strikes" system, but they expect complaints to start rolling in soon.

In June, the New Zealand government signed a statement condemning "three strikes" policies that deprive copyright infringers of Internet access, calling such laws a violation of human rights.

Timothy B. Lee / Timothy covers tech policy for Ars, with a particular focus on patent and copyright law, privacy, free speech, and open government. His writing has appeared in Slate, Reason, Wired, and the New York Times.